Otto Ernst Remer Speaks in front of Grossdeutschland Soldiers

This famous video - taken from 'Die Deutsche Wochenschau Nr. 726, 3 August 1944 - shows Otto Ernst Remer (then Major, later promoted straight to Oberst!) giving a propaganda speech to troops of the Wachbataillon Großdeutschland (Greater German Guard Battalion) in Berlin, late July 1944. He stands in front of a Nazi flag, addresses the soldiers, and they march past him. This was a propaganda piece filmed to celebrate the failure of the 20 July 1944 plot and emphasize the unity between the Wehrmacht and the Nazi Party (NSDAP). In his speech, Remer, addressing his troops and emphasizing loyalty to Hitler and the state after the failed plot.

Oberst Otto Ernst Remer (Kommandeur "Wachbataillon Großdeutschland"). This is a screenshot taken from 'Die Deutsche Wochenschau' Nr. 726 (3 August 1944) which was taken shortly after the failed 20 July 1944 Plot.

From left to right: Oberleutnant Rudolf Schlee (Chef 5.Kompanie / Wachbataillon "Großdeutschland") and Oberleutnant Karl Hausmann. This is a screenshot taken from 'Die Deutsche Wochenschau' Nr. 726 (3 August 1944) which shows the speech of the commander of Wachbataillon "Großdeutschland", Oberst Otto Ernst Remer, shortly after the failed 20 July 1944 Plot.

Source :
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hX0_CfJdatQ

Erwin Rommel Recounts the North African Campaign

Generalfeldmarschall Erwin Rommel is perhaps the most famous German General of World War II.  Known for his bold, aggressive leadership, he is best known for commanding German troops in North Africa and advancing as far as El-Alamein, which made him famous in Germany, but also among his enemy, and he was given the nickname “Desert Fox”.

As he was popular and well-known both within Germany and among neutral and enemy countries, he was often featured in Nazi propaganda, such as newsreels and newspaper articles.

The following footage is from an interview that was filmed in October 1942, during a vacation of him in Germany, in which Rommel recounts the course of the operations in North Africa from April 1941 to September 1942, including famous battles, such as the Siege of Tobruk or the attack at El-Alamein.

During the interview, Rommel often overstates losses to the enemy and talks down Axis losses, for propaganda reasons.

Rommel is wearing his full uniform in this interview. Contrary to standard norms, he is not wearing a high-pinned collar, but a more modern, suit-like collar, which became more common among German officers and generals as the war progressed. He is wearing a Field Marshal Uniform, having been promoted to that rank in late June 1942. His medals include his Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes mit Schwertern (Knights Cross with Swords), which he received in late January 1942, his World War I era Pour le Merite, which he received in December 1917. On his right chest pocket, he wears the Knight Grand Cross of the Italian Military Order of Savoy, which he was awarded in August 1942.

Source :
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W7kA9PA_ouE

Bomb Disposal Specialist Egon Aghta

Egon August Agtha (1918-1945) was a German bomb disposal specialist in Berlin during World War II. Initially an artillery soldier, he was trained as a bomb disposal specialist from 1939-1941. He was severely wounded by the explosion of a British unexploded ordinance in 1942. He returned to active duty two years later and was made the leader of the Sprengkommando 1 (1st Bomb Disposal Unit) of the Luftwaffe (Air Force) in Berlin sometimes in 1944. He was awarded the Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes (Knights Cross of the Iron Cross) on February 3rd, 1945, and promoted to Oberleutnant (First Lieutenant) by Hitler personally on the same day. He was further awarded the Eichenlaub zum Ritterkreuz (Oak Leaves to the Knights Cross) on March 12th, 1945, and was again promoted by Hitler personally on the same day, this time to Hauptmann (Captain). He died during fighting with Soviet troops in Berlin on May 2nd, 1945.

Source :
Die Deutsche Wochenschau No. 755 - 22 March 1945
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jWxWY4rFhTg
https://www.tracesofwar.com/persons/28059/Agtha-Egon-August-Sprengkommando-1.htm

Heinz Guderian in Willrich Postcard

 

The postcard painting of Generaloberst Heinz Guderian by Wolfgang Willrich (31 March 1897 – 18 October 1948), a German artist of the 20th century, who created propaganda art during the time of Nazi Germany. In 1933, Willrich was employed by the Nazi government, for which he drew art depicting idealized racial standards and portraits of soldiers and party officials. The postcard itself was first published in August 1940, not long after the end of the "Westfeldzug" (German invasion of France and Low Countries).

Source :
https://www.allworldwars.com/Soldiers-of-the-Reich-by-Wolf-Willrich.html

Erich Bärenfänger in the Training of German Grenadier

An excerpt from 'Die Deutsche Wochenschau' Nr. 722 - 5 July 1944: Oberstleutnant Erich Bärenfänger in the footage of training of new infantrymen of the German Army in 1944. Due to the immense pressure the Wehrmacht was under in 1944, training of new soldiers was often shortened to be able to deploy them to the frontlines more quickly. This was not only the case with infantry, also tank crews, fighter pilots and other specialized troops had way less training in 1944 then for example in 1940. Bärenfänger (1915-1945) himself was a German General during WWII. He was drafted to Infantry Regiment 123 in 1936 and promoted to Reserve Lieutenant in April 1939. Shortly before finishing his mandatory service, World War II broke out and he served as platoon leader in Poland and France. In September 1941, he became company commander, and took part in Operation Barbarossa, fighting in Ukraine and on Crimea. He later served as battalion commander, fighting in the Cuban bridgehead and later around Kerch. After the German retreat from Crimea, he served in various staff position in officer training. During the Battle of Berlin, Bärenfänger commanded one of the hard fought over defense areas, and was promoted from Oberstleutnant (Lieutenant-Colonel) to Generalmajor (Brigadier General), skipping the rank of Oberst (Colonel)! He tried to break out of Berlin with a small group on the night of May 2nd/3rd, and when that failed, he committed suicide with his wife. Bärenfänger was highly decorated, having received the Deutsches Kreuz in Gold (December 1941), Verwundetenabzeichen in Gold (January 1942) the Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes (August 1942) mit Eichenlaub (May 1943) und Schwertern (January 1944).

Source :
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dHL8cxpPj1w

Erwin Rommel Visits Goebbels Children

 

Generalfeldmarschall Erwin Rommel visits Magda Goebbels, wife of Nazi Propaganda Minister Joseph Goebbels, and her children on the Goebbels estate in 1943, during a break in assignments, September 1942. Mrs. Goebbels and Marshal Rommel pose in her garden. She holds the family dog while she and Rommel hold the hands of her youngest daughter, Heidrun. Magda, Rommel and Alfred-Ingemar Berndt watch as one of the Rommel military aides plays on a slide with the older Goebbels children. The Goebbels daughter, Helga, and the son, Helmut, both go down the slide. A photographer moves to a better vantage point in background. Marshal Rommel and Magda Goebbels both help Heidrun go down the slide. Rommel smiles and lifts up one of the daughters. He joins in a bit as the children play.

After a discussion with Benito Mussolini in Rome on 24 September 1942, Generalfeldmarschall Erwin Rommel (Oberbefehlshaber Panzerarmee "Afrika") flew to Germany in the afternoon. Rommel was then a celebrity guest of the Goebbels family in their retreat villa at Bogensee, located in Berlin, Isle of Schwanenwerder, Inselstraße nr 8. After the war only ruins remained there and the villa was was ransacked first by Soviet, then by American soldiers. It was demolished and replaced by Aspen Institute.

On 26 September 1942 Rommel drove to the Führerhauptquartier Wolfsschanze in Rastenburg, East Prussia, where Hitler presented him his Field Marshal' s baton.

Source :
https://www.buyoutfootage.com/pages/titles/pd_dc_568.php#bottom_synopsis
https://www.criticalpast.com/video/65675066074_Field-Marshal-Rommel_Rommels-wife_Nazi-officer-slides_sliding-down-a-ramp
https://forum.axishistory.com/viewtopic.php?f=5&t=98884&hilit=rommel+goebbels+children
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cj6fOIWL8E0

Reinhard Suhren with Listeners

A propaganda postcard showing U-boat ace Reinhard Suhren (center) telling his patrol stories to curious listeners, workers of Germaniawerft. Suhren, as 1st Watch Officer on U-48, was credited with the destruction 200,000 GRT of merchant shipping. He further sank 18 merchant ships for a total of 95,544 GRT, 1 warship sunk for a total of 900 long tons (910 tonnes) and damaged 4 ships for a total of 28,907 GRT as commander of U-564.

Source :
https://www.akpool.co.uk/postcards/26246126-postcard-kapitaenleutnant-reinhard-suhren-ritterkreuztraeger-kriegsmarine
https://www.ea-militaria.com/ritterkreuztrager-postcard-korvetten-kapitan-reinhard-suhren.html
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reinhard_Suhren
https://www.marhistorical.com/en/sales/sale815pg2.php?session_id=huc3o4lj5oi5tr6gr9542vts5q
https://twitter.com/x3892555/status/1118099355628527616/photo/2

Heinz Harmel in the 'Wiener Illustrierte' Cover

SS-Standartenführer Heinz Harmel (Kommandeur SS-Panzergrenadier Regiment "Deutschland" / SS-Panzergrenadier-Division "Das Reich") in the magazine cover of "Wiener Illustrierte" Nr. 32, which was published on 11 August 1943. Original caption: "Enemy’s trenches are finally taken after hard fighting, Waffen-SS Standartenfuhrer Harmel is quickly moving to new position".

Source :
https://wartimepress.com/product/wiener-illustrierte-1943-08-11-nr-32-pdf/

Visit of Walter Nowotny to the Machinery Factory

Hauptmann Walter Nowotny (Gruppenkommandeur I.Gruppe / Jagdgeschwader 54) during official visit to the Büromaschinenfabrik (office machinery factory) at Zella-Mehlis, 2 February 1944. Original caption: "Brillantenträger Hauptmann Nowotny with the soldiers of a squadron in an expert discussion in an aircraft factory. An Oberfeldwebel (senior sergeant), who was himself a foreman, looks at his comrades' workpieces from the lathe with great expertise. Hauptmann Nowotny is in the middle background". The picture was taken by Kriegsberichter Vieth.

Source :
https://reibert.info/threads/valter-novotny-walter-nowotny.81263/page-3
https://shop.k-k-r.de/Fotografien-Foto-Walter-Nowotny-Ritterkreuz-Brillianten-Flugzeugwerk-1944-Hoffmann-.html

Hermann Graf during Home Leave

Brillantenträger Major Hermann Graf during a visit to his birthplace Engen, Baden-Württemberg, Germany. After receiving the Brillanten from Hitler and elevated to hero status by the Luftwaffe, he was promoted to Major on 29 September 1942 and forbidden from flying further combat missions. For the next few months, after home leave, Graf was sent on propaganda tours across Germany. He was also able to meet the Germany national football team and went to several of their international matches. The picture was taken by Hanns Tschira and first published by 'Berliner Illustrierte Zeitung' Nr.45/1942.

Source :
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hermann_Graf
https://forum.axishistory.com/index.php

Karl Hausmann and Josef Dörfel Asking Donation

This propaganda photo shows three women donating money to two soldiers representing the Kriegswinterhilfswerk, a regular fundraising program aimed at helping underprivileged Germans in winter. The two soldier asking for donations themselves were not ordinary soldiers, but war heroes and Ritterkreuzträger from the Wachbataillon (Watch Battalion) Großdeutschland. They are, from left to right: Leutnant Karl Hausmann (Ritterkreuz on 15 May 1942 as Oberfeldwebel and Führer 3.Kompanie / I.Bataillon / Jäger-Regiment 28 / 8. leichte Infanterie-Division) and Oberfeldwebel Josef Dörfel (Ritterkreuz on 4 March 1942 as Oberfeldwebel and Zugführer in 6.Kompanie / II.Bataillon / Infanterie-Regiment 439 / 134.Infanterie-Division). This photo itself was taken in March 1943.

Source :
http://wehrmachtss.blogspot.com/2018/10/donasi-kriegswinterhilfswerk-oleh.html

Ernst Seifert in Propaganda Film

 

1940 Nazi Propaganda Film: Wehrmacht Attacking Maginot Line in France. The Ritterkreuzträger is Ernst Seifert (30 May 1898 - 21 July 1990). He received the Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes on 29 September 1940 as Major and Kommandeur II.Abteilung / schwere Artillerie-Regiment 48 / 12.Infanterie-Division.

U-boat Ace Joachim Schepke with U-Boat Miniature

 

 

U-boat ace Joachim Schepke (Kapitänleutnant and commander of U-100) shows a German submarine toy to his son, 1941. U-29 was a celebrated vessel, responsible for sinking the British aircraft carrier HMS Courageous on 17 September 1939. This little boy smiles pensively - his father, a German officer, has just given him this miniature submarine. It is true that the Nazi regime did not attach great importance to toys, which the German youth only "softened over". Nevertheless, the propaganda potential of war toys was recognised: "Playing with soldiers and military equipment awakens enthusiasm for military achievements and plants the germ of military detention in the hearts of young people at an early stage," wrote art teacher Lorenz Postner in 1939. Source: Signal magazine cover.

Source :
https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=660998631835631&set=gm.1942078655977548